The I ♥ Cebu blog by Peanut Browas

​Situated in the middle of the archipelago, the island of Cebu is an ideal destination for people looking for a perfect vacation spot. The beaches of the island are known to be among the best in the world while the mountain retreats have started to attract the attention of vacation-goers around the country. But there are also other hidden jewels in the island that have the potential to be a major tourist attraction in the future. One of these places is the Alcantara Sea Paradise.

Alcantara Sea Paradise – image source: Alcantara Cebu Facebook Page

Alcantara

The Alcantara Sea Paradise is located in the southern town of Alcantara. While the town is not as popular as its neighbor, Moalboal, it does offer a number of tourist sites where local and foreign tourists can visit. The old name of the town was “Kogtong,” which was also the name of a large freshwater fish that thrived in the springs of the town. In fact, one of the springs in the town is called the Kogtong Spring or Kugtong Spring. When the Spaniards came, they renamed the place after one of the towns in Spain.

Alcantara Sea Paradise – image source: Alcantara Cebu Facebook Page

Alcantara Sea Paradise

The Alcantara Sea Paradise is one of the tourist drawers in the town. It is an eco-tourism project where visitors can get a peek at the beauty of nature. You essentially stroll on a bamboo walkway that takes you through a mangrove forest. The place also has a zoo housing animals of different species. A good part of the animal population in the zoo is birds. The birds in the zoo are not the birds you usually see in the wild. The zoo also has a pawikan, mud crabs, snake, and a monkey. Each enclosure also has the scientific name of the animal house within.

Alcantara Sea Paradise – image source: Alcantara Cebu Facebook Page

​The place also has cottages where you can rest before continuing your tour. You can also have lunch or snacks at these cottages. In addition to the signs at the enclosures, there are also signs showing visitors the type of trees growing at the place.

Alcantara Sea Paradise – image source: Alcantara Cebu Facebook Page

​At the end of the walkway, you will get to see a bangus fish pen and the open sea. There is also a bamboo watchtower where you can have a marvelous view of the area. One thing that you may notice about the place is that some of the signs are in the Cebuano language. Since it is located close to the sea, you can expect the weather to be somewhat cool in some days, especially when you reach the end of the walkway.

Alcantara Sea Paradise – image source: Alcantara Cebu Facebook Page

Getting to the Alcantara Sea Paradise

You can get to the Alcantara Sea Paradise by hopping on a bus bound for Moalboal and tell the driver or conductor to drop you off at the town of Alcantara. The Alcantara Sea Paradise is situated close to the church of the town and along the road going to the municipal hall.

Alcantara Sea Paradise – image source: Alcantara Cebu Facebook Page

​A visit to the Alcantara Sea Paradise can be both relaxing and educational for local and foreign tourists. Aside from enjoying the sights offered at the place, visitors will also get to learn a thing or two about nature and its importance to the island of Cebu.